When I was younger, I was always wandering off to explore the woods
surrounding my childhood home. For hours, I would disappear into a world
my own...my sacred grounds. One day, I decided I wanted a tree house.
and asked my Papaw to build me one. There wasn't much we "youngins"
asked Papaw for that we didn't get, so he readily agreed and ask if I had a
spot picked out for the treehouse. I knew just where I wanted it and declared
I had the perfect tree picked out. Grabbing his hand, I begged him to come see.
He followed me deep into the woods. We'd walked about a mile with me excitedly
pulling on his hand to hurry. He was a soft spoken man but his words seemed to
thunder through the woods as he spoke to me, "Don't rush through life child,
you'll miss all the wonders of our mother earth." He hushed my protest, to hurry
and pointed off in the distance at a little gray squirrel scurrying up the trunk of a tree.
The very tree I wanted my treehouse in. It was a great big tree. One with many branches spring forth.
It seemed to reach into sky it was so tall. " Oh Papaw, that the tree I want
my treehouse in. Isn't it just perfect" I asked as we walked over to the tree. His was
looking at the tree intently and shook his head sadly. "No, Lil Spirit we cannot use this
tree for it is a Cedar tree." In that moment, I saw my plans for the perfect treehouse
crashing down around me. My Papaw had said No. Seldom did he ever refuse me
anything but there was one thing I knew his NO meant there would be no treehouse.
"But Papaw," I pleaded. Firmly he shook his head, and told me, "Not in a Cedar tree."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Why not in a Cedar tree?" I demanded. He
sat down leaning against the big tree and reached up pulling me into his lap and told
me, "Because Lil Spirit the Cedar trees are scared to our people." His words echoed
off the trees as he told me the Legend of the Cedar Tree....
Back in the beginning when the Great Spirit, our creator, made our people. He made
the day and the night. During the day, our people hunted, fished, and grew crops.
At night we rested our bodies and souls. It was as the Great Spirit intended it to be
Then the people grew foolish and thought it would be good if it was always day
They asked the Great Spirit to make it day all the time and so there was night no more.
Because there was no night, the woods grew thick and you could not walk for the
growth. The weeds grew hardy, and our people had to work many long hard hours
pulling weeds and tending to the crops. They found it difficult to sleep in the light
and it grew hotter and hotter. It did not take many days before they realized they had
made a mistake and asked the Great Spirit, to make it all night. The Creator said that
all things were made in twos and they should think about what they were asking
but the people where sure they wanted it to be all night. The Great Spirit loved our
people and so he made it all night. As the darkness feel upon Mother earth. The
crops soon stopped growing. The animals began dying. There were no crops to eat
no animals to hunt for meat and it grew very cold with day. Our people became weak
from their hunger and the cold. Many died before our people realized they were wrong
and asked the Creator to make it day and night again. The Great Spirit listened to our
people and returned day and night to Mother earth again as it had been in the very
beginning. The day warmed the earth, and the crops began to grow again. The animals
were plentiful and the hunting was good. Our people once again had plenty to eat
The sickness left our people and they stopped dying. Our people thanked their Creator
for his compassion and forgiveness. However, during the time of the nights, many
people had died, and the Great Spirit was sorry that they had died because of the long
nights. Our people was sorry for asking for changes in the creators plan. The Creator
created a tree and placed their spirits inside the tree and named it cedar tree. The Great
Spirit told our people to remember what had happened and hold the tree sacred.
So Lil Spirit when you look at or smell the aroma of a Cedar tree remember that you are
looking upon the spirits of your ancestors and never to question why the Great Spirit made
things as they are."
Papaw's voice trailed off, and the silence filled the air around us
I understood why he couldn't give me what I wanted then, and suddenly I didn't want
my treehouse in that massive Cedar tree anymore. We sat there for a while neither one of us
saying anything. The sounds of nature alive around us. A Robin singing, leaves crackling
under a fawn's hooves and the scurrying of rabbits and squirrels amongst the trees
Touching my shoulder softly he pointed to a big Oak tree right across from where we
were sitting and said, "Lil Spirit, that looks like the perfect tree for a treehouse."
I smiled up at him and told him, "Papaw you always find the best spots." He built my
treehouse in the utmost branches of that old Oak tree. I spent many hours hidden
away up there. Reading my favorite books, writing short stories, listening to a radio but most importantly,
taking time to notice all the wonders Mother Earth placed around me and glancing out across to the
massive Cedar tree remembering....
